Cellar Tips

Directions

How do you store your wine? On top of the kitchen cupboard or even in a rack against the dining room wall may not being doing your wine any justice, especially if you’re planning to keep it a while.

Temperature

This is the biggy. Whether your wine is under cork or screwcap, overall temperature is going to be the single biggest factor in determining long-term wine quality. Temperature affects the rate of certain chemical changes that occur during maturation and each 10°C increase in temperature can effectively double the rate of change. Ideally, the temperature for long-term storage should be about 13°C to 16°C.

Temperature Stability

While fluctuations in temperature can be particularly disastrous for wines bottled under cork, this is less of an issue for wines under screwcap. Fluctuations in temperature cause pressure changes within the bottle and cause corks to expand and contract. This can compromise the integrity of a cork seal. Oxygen can seep into the wine, resulting in oxidation, or alternately wine can leak out, allowing yet more oxygen to move in to fill up the gaps the lost wine has created.

Humidity

Humidity is an important consideration mostly when it comes to wines bottled under cork. A humid environment (ideally around 70 to 80% relative humidity) will prevent corks from drying out and wine from evaporating. Too high a humidity, though, and you risk labels going mouldy and peeling off, and cardboard cartons deteriorating. Screwcaps, however, will be unaffected by the level of humidity.

Light

Finally, light is another factor that can cause wines to deteriorate, particularly ultraviolet light from the sun, which causes free radical development in the wine, resulting in rapid oxidation and premature ageing. Sparkling wines are especially susceptible. Keep wines in the dark if possible, or in their cartons, and use low-wattage lightbulbs, or traditional candles, if you need light to make your dinner selections.

So it may be time to rethink the top of the kitchen cupboards for a cool, dark and quiet space to allow your wine a dignified progression into maturity.